Coasting bobsled



Oct. 19, 1937. R. ANDRUS COASTING BOBSLED Filed July 51, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet l Jill INVEN TOR. Ronald JZnaZrus BY W ATTORNEYS.

WITNESSES /g,,,, f 1 K Oct. 19, 1937. R. ANDRUS 2,09 51 COASTING BOBSLED I Filed July 51, 1936 I 3 Sheets-Sheet3 9 70 55 r K z "x 9 A 9 9 2 Ja 7 INVENTQR ITNESSES I ffonalol flndwus 1 '-60'r*" v I Y ATTOR N EYS Patented Oct. 19, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE 3 Claims.

The present invention relates to a coasting bobsled and has for its object to produce a strong, speedy, relatively simple bob-sled in which the runners or shoes are in the form of skis and so constructed that they will safely support a heavy load on both snow and ice, and when used on ice or on an ice crust will prevent skidding in steering and will develop and permit high speed in coasting with safety and stability.

To the above end the present invention consists of the coasting bob-sled and the devices and combinations of devices as shown in the accompanying drawings and as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings- Fig. 1 shows my coasting bob-sled in side elevation;

Fig. 2 shows a top plan view;

Fig. 3 shows in side elevation and partial section one of therunners removed;

Fig. 4 shows a bottom plan View of one of the metal skis forming the facing for the runners;

Fig. 5 shows a cross section taken on the line 5-5 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 shows a cross section of one of the metal skis removed from the shoe portion of the runner preliminary to being afiixed to the shoe portion;

Fig. 7 shows a longitudinal sectional view (somewhat enlarged as compared with the other Views) showing details of the steering mechanism, the section being taken on a diametric line cut-- ting the mating gears;

Fig. 8 shows a top plan View of a portion of a 35; modified form of metal ski;

n Fig. 9 shows a cross section on the line 9-9 in Fig.

Fig. 10 shows a cross section on the line I0-l0 inFig. 8 with bolt permanently secured to metal 40 ski;

Fig. 11 shows an enlarged fragmentary detail in perspective of the metal ski looking at the upper surface of the ski; and i Fig. 12 shows 'a cross section similar to Fig. 9 45 and showing one of the attaching nuts permanently secured in the groove on the upper face of the metal ski.

Similar reference characters will be employe to designate corresponding parts.

Asshown in Figs. 1 and 2, the device comprises ell-longitudinally extending board or platform I preferably made of hard wood of sufliclent strength to support the load, and as shown the rear end. 2 may be slightly widerthan the forward 55, end 33,-the tapering. sides 4 merging at the forward end into a curve as shown at 5. At its opposite ends the board or platform I is mounted on pairs of ski runners 6 which are arranged parallel to each other and in longitudinal alignment. Each of the ski runners 6 comprises a shoe 1 preferably made of hard wood and with the upper surface cut away at each end as shown at 8 and 9 providing the intermediate elevated, substantially centrally disposed support H). The bottom of the shoe 1 is substantially straight for the greater part of its length but at its forward end will be upwardly turned as indicated at H. Each pair of ski runners 6 will be firmly connected to cross bars I2, said cross bars being preferably made of channeled steel provided along each longitudinal edge with down-turned flanges I3, the upstanding support ll] of each shoe 1 being provided with slots l4 of a depth to receive the flanges l3 and the upper edge of the support It between said slots being cut away as indicated at l5 so that the web of the cross bar l2 and the flanges 13 may be received in the depressed portion and lie in the plane of the top of the support In. The cross bars l2 are firmly secured to the ski runners 6 by bolts It as clearly shown in the drawings. The platform or board l is firmly secured at each end to the cross bars l2, the rear end by means of bolts I1, and the forward end by means which will be hereinafter described.

.To the under face of the ski runners 6 is secured a metal ski l8 extending the full length of the shoe 1 and turned upwardly at its forward end to conform to the upward curved portion 1 l of the shoe. The metal ski l8 at intervals along its upper surface is provided with screw threaded blocks 19 which may be formed integrally therewith or as indicated in Fig. 6 may be brazed or welded thereto. There will be as many such threaded blocks l9 as the points of connection along the straight and fiat portion of the ski requires bolts to hold it firmly to the shoe. As shown in the drawings there are four such points of connection and the under surface of the shoe 1 will be formed with sockets to receive and accommodate the blocks l9. These blocks l9 will be engaged by the bolts l6 which hold the cross bars I 2 in position, as indicated in'Fig. 3, and also hold the central portion of the ski l8 to the shoe 1. At the opposite ends of the ski runner 6 the shorter bolts 20 will engage similar blocks 89 with the heads 2| of all the bolts projecting above the upper surface of the shoe at all points where they may be engaged by a suitable wrench wherebythey may be tightened when required. Suitable ball bearing 35 surrounds the shaft 21 and able washers 22 may be interposed between the heads of the bolts 2| at and near each end of the shoe. At the forward end of the ski runner 6 the upwardly curved portion of the ski l8 may be secured by a bolt or rivet 23,

The ski I8 is provided upon its under surface with a non-skid rib 24 much narrower than the width of the ski and extending from end to end thereofand is also provided with the laterally extending flanges 25. The ribs 24 have relatively sharp edges 25. By this construction the device may be used for coasting on soft snow, the lateral flanges 25 providing a contact of sufficient width to support the weight of thedevice, or it may be used on a hard ice surface or a c'rust'of ice on top of the snow, for which purpose the non-skid rib 2d in addition to its supporting function will by means of the sharpened edges26 hold the ski to follow the direction in which the device is moving and will effectually prevent lateral skidding on the turns. Preferably the flanges 25 before the metal ski is applied to the shoe 1 will be slightly curved upwardly transversely of its length, as shown in Fig. 6 so that when forced tightly against the under surface of the shoe 1 and thereby flattened, there will be produced a firm pressure of the flanges 25 against the under surface of the shoe 1 adjacent the marginal edges of the under surface thereof. It is to be noted that the bolts l not only hold the cross bars l2 firmly to the shoe but also hold the skis at the central portion of the shoe firmly to the under surface thereof.

At the forward end the pair of ski runners 6 are pivotally mounted so that they may be swung about the vertical axis of the pivot in steering. The pivotal connection and steering arrangement is shown clearly in Fig. '7. It comprises a shaft 21 which passes through an opening 28 in the board i. To the upper end of the shaft 21 is fixed a gear 29 by means of a set screw 30 and a nut 31 which engages the upper threaded end 32 of the shaft 2?. A pin 33 may be employed to prevent the nut 35 from turning after it has been properly adjusted. The gear 29 will be provided with a collar or boss 34 which rests upon the upper surface of the board i. Beneath theboard l a suitis interposed between the upper surfaceof the front cross bar l2 and the under surface of the board l, the ball bearing 35 resting upon the upper surface of the front cross bar 12. Beneath the front cross bar I2 is a reinforcing plate 36 having at its opposite ends upturned flanges 31 through which and through the flanges I3 of the cross bar l2 and the shaft 2'! is passed a pivotal bolt or rod 38. Between the shaft 21 and the inner faces of the flanges l3 there are mounted upon the bolt 58 tubular spacing blocks-39.

- The lower end of the shaft 21 is threaded as at 40 and receives a threaded nut 4| and a pin 42.

corresponding to the axis of the shaft 21 for steering purposes and at the same time be firmly and securely connected to the body l, instantly answering to the steering tiller' The steering tiller consists of a post 43' mounted in a bearing 44 supported by a block 45 as indicated in' Fig. 1, and, at its lower end carries a beveled gear 45 which meshes with the beveled gear 29. At its upper end the'post 43 carries a steering wheel 41 whereby it may be turned and through the beveled gears turn the shaft 21 and the front pair of'ski ski runners.

'53 to their outer edges.

. securing the ski to the shoe.

runners 6. The block 45 is secured to the board I by screws or bolts 48. The forward ends of the front ski runners 6 may be provided with a curved bar 49, the ends of which are connected at 50 to the forward upturned ends of the forward The board I may be provided with the usual hand grips 5| secured to the marginal edges thereof and the usual footrests 52 whereby the occupants may maintain their seats on the board I when the apparatus is in use. The steering mechanism is enclosed in a housing 53 and a guard 54 may be placed at the front end of the board.

In the apparatus so far described the metal skis 18 may be made of any suitable rolled or cast metal, but in the modified form of my invention as shown in Figs. 8 to 12 the ski is made 'of a relatively thin metal plate which may be fabricated in the form of a channel strip of indefinite length. Before being applied to the shoe '1 it will have a shape in cross section like that shown in Fig. 9 comprising a longitudinal groove 53 on the upper surface producing a projecting non-skid rib 54 on the under surface with the laterally projecting flanges 55, which as shown will be slightly curved upwardly from the groove When applied to the shoe with the securing bolts tightly set, the flanges 55 will become straight, lying in the same plane as the bottom face of the shoeto which it is attached. In this form eitherthe heads 56 of the threaded bolts 51 are fitted and welded or otherwise permanently secured in the channel 53 or threaded nuts 58 may be firmly fitted and welded in said groove. Of course, the bolts 5'! or the nuts 58 will be positioned at intervals along the groove 53 as indicated in Fig. 8, their location therealong being dictated by the position of the apertures in the shoe 7 through which the bolts are intended to pass. It will be observed that in this form the heads 56 of the bolts or the nuts 58, accordingly, as one or the other are used, are permanently secured in the slot 53 and united thereto by welding or otherwise, and will project above the plane of the upper surface of the lateral flanges 55 so that they will project and fit into the recesses formed in the undersurface of the shoe 1 to receive such projecting portions in This engagement of the projecting portions of the bolts or nuts with the recesses formed in the lower surface of the shoe will in both forms of my invention assist in maintaining the metal skis in position on the shoe and resist any relative movement between these parts.

It will be noted that the under surface of the metal skis is absolutely smooth and unbroken longitudinally with the exception of the'longitudinally extending centrally disposed non-skid rib, and that all parts of the means for securing the metal skis to the face of the shoes are connected to the upper face of the metal skis with no part passing through and to the under face, where they might work loose and destroy the smooth contact surface and cause a defective operation which might result in serious accidents.

It will be further noted that by making the lateral flanges of the metal ski so that they curve upwardly slightly as indicated in cross section in Figs. 6 and 9, the setting up of the securing devices results in a straightening of the lateral curvature thus forcing the flanges of the metal skis in close contact at all points laterally with the; undersurface of the shoes. This arrangement not only insures the proper fit or contact of 75 straightening the lateral curvature of the flanges 5 of the ski.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus of the class described, a ski runner comprising a shoe, a metal ski secured to.

the under face thereof, metal blocks permanently 10 secured to and projectingabove the upper surface of the ski, recesses in the under face of the shoe into which the blocks on the skis are fitted, and

bolts passing through said shoe and engaging said blocks to draw and firmly hold the ski against the 15 under face of the shoe, the under face of the ski from end to end being free from any part of the attaching means.

2. In a device of the class describedQa shoe, a

metal ski secured to the under face thereof, a

'20 projecting non-skid rib upon the under face of said ski extending along a longitudinal central line, and lateral flanges upon each side of said rib, said flanges being upwardly curved laterally providing pressure contacts with the under surface of the shoe, and means wholly above the under face of the ski to draw the flanges intoclose contact with the under face of the shoe.

3. In a device of the class described, a load support, a pair of ski runners each comprising a shoe and a metal ski secured to the under face thereof, the said shoe having arraised block upon its upper surface, a metal cross bar having downwardly extending flanges along each of its longitudinal edges, said flanges fitting in slots cut in the upper edge of the upstanding blockof the shoe, bolts extending through the ends of the cross bar and through the shoe, and bolt members permanently secured to the upper face of the skis and cooperating with the first named bolt member to hold the cross bar, the shoes and the skis together.

RONALD ANDRUS. 

